Rapinoe, Morgan, O’Hara Headline U.S. Women’s World Cup Squad

United States forwards Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe along with defender Kelley O’Hara will make their fourth Women’s World Cup appearance after head coach Vlatko Andonovski included them in his 23-player roster for the team’s title defence.

The U.S. are the most successful team in women’s soccer, having won four World Cups, including at the last edition in 2019 in France where they defeated the Netherlands in the final.

They are in Group E at the July 20-August 20 tournament this year, along with the Netherlands, Portugal and Vietnam.

The roster also included goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and midfielder Julie Ertz, who will play at their third World Cup, while defenders Crystal Dunn and Emily Sonnett and midfielders Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle will make their second appearance at global soccer’s showpiece event.

Defender Casey Krueger was not included, while captain Becky Sauerbrunn has been ruled out due to a foot injury.

Good Mix

A total of 14 U.S. players will play at the World Cup for the first time as Andonovski named a group with a good bled of youth and experience.

“The task of selecting a World Cup team is never easy, but I’m proud of the players for their work ethic and focus during the process and of our coaching staff for doing the work to put together the best team possible,” said Andonovski, who has selected nine players who were part of their 2019 triumph.

“It’s the players that make the biggest impact on our environment, they push each other to be better and I know as a group they are extremely motivated to make our country proud at the World Cup.”

This year’s World Cup will be the first to feature 32 teams, up from 24 in the previous two tournaments, and Andonovski expects it to be the best one yet.

“For years, we’ve been able to see first-hand where the game is going and that’s exciting. We are proud to have been one of the teams leading the way for women’s international soccer and I know the tournament will once again show the world how great these players are across all 32 teams,” he said.

“Our players understand the challenges and the competitive environment we are heading into, and they love it. We have a roster with depth and versatility and that will help us take on all the challenges that will be coming our way.”

Domestic Dominance

The average age of the U.S. roster is 28.5 years old, with forward Alyssa Thompson the youngest at 18 and Rapinoe the oldest at 37. Twenty-two of the 23 players on the roster play in the National Women’s Soccer League in the U.S., with Lindsey Horan, who plays for French champion Olympique Lyonnais, the only exception.

U.S. Soccer, the governing body, said the roster will not become official until it is submitted to FIFA on July 9, which is the deadline for all teams to submit their final squads.

This 23-player group will report to training camp in Southern California by June 26 ahead of the team’s send-off game in San Jose against Wales on July 9.

The U.S. are making their ninth appearance at the Women’s World Cup and they are one of seven countries to appear in all nine editions of the tournament.

U.S. Roster For The World Cup

Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury, Casey Murphy, Alyssa Naeher

Defenders: Alana Cook, Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Sofia Huerta, Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett

Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Kristie Mewis, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan

Forwards: Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Alyssa Thompson, Lynn Williams